I've never done these but I read a trip report of one awhile back on a travel blog which explained the experience quite well so I would recommend you look up some travel blog trip reports of the tours and see how people who actually did them felt about it.

In addition, I think you and your friends should do some research into where in Europe you really want to go and what you want to see (what's truly important to you) and look for a tour that incorporates most of those things instead of one that just whisks you quickly from place to place. There are lots of tours out there - it doesn't have to be Contiki.

Don't get me wrong, I am most definitely not anti Contiki . . . But that particular tour just looks DREADFUL>

it is a typical Contiki tour - at least the one most popular that most folks take I believe - not as dreadful to the several above who have taken one and actually, unbelievably enjoyed it. Different strokes for different folks - lose the didactism IMO - again I would never ever take a group tour as I want to be a traveler not a tourist carted around but I can see why some folks, especially first time people take tours - in fact the vast majority of Americans going to Europe

go on group tours and most of them take whirlwind if it's Belgium it must be Tuesday afternoon type tours if you look at the brochures. More in a better seller apparently in the tour industry - yes to you and me more may be less but let's not judge everyone else by our desires and what we want in a tour. What's dreadful to me or to you - well again several above have actually enjoyed!

Contiki has a long long track record - been around for years - started as an Aussie company I think and then sold out to some Swiss bank holding company who last I knew still owned it but that was several years ago - but if so on rock solid foundation.

I think a good thing about the fast pace is that this is your first time there and it will help you get a fix on what Europe is all about - covering a lot of places in a compact time gives you an overall about where to go back to on your own - there is free times in cities like Paris on Contiki tours so you are not on the bus all the time (though a lot of the time) - anyway I urge folks to go on their own because it is so so easy and to me much more a learning experience but I do understand why the huge majority of first-timers gravitate to the security of a tour and also you will be with folks your own age - mainly female in my many observations of Contiki tours - and there is a comraderie that develops in groups like that (this coming from someone who led thousands of college students thru Europe in the distant pass - Contiki being one of our biggest competitors - well much bigger) - a group tour - the people in it develop bonds that many prefer - prefer over going alone.

So don't throw the baby out with the bathwater - there are pros and cons to everything - not the bleak assessment that some jump to without really knowing anything about it.

A 23 year old well traveled former student went on a Contiki tour of Europe last summer and LOVED it. She also is still keeping in touch with the friends she made on the trip.

JanisJ - It looks dreadful *to you*.

It's not meant for anyone over 35 - there is a clue. It's also an immersion visit. Not designed for 'foodies' or 'people watchers' or 'slow travellers'. It's a dip your toe in and move on.

I did a 35 day tour which went everywhere - so it seemed and gave me enough insight to discover which places I wanted to revisit and which to leave out. I went back a year later and did the slow travel rail travel youth hostel thing but I'm glad for the Contiki experience. It was amazing.

The "European Whirl" tour isn't as "dreadful" as some of you are making it out to be. For starters, it's mostly two-night stays in each city, not one-nighters. I've never taken one of these, but I would guess the first thing a lot of people do after they get on the bus in the morning is take a nap. And there is an advantage of having one's bus pick one up at the hotel and then take you directly to the next one. This probably saves two hours or more on each travel day.

My advice would be to arrive a couple of days early to London, so you can do some sightseeing on your own, and then linger in Paris (or elsewhere) after the tour for four or five days. You can combine tour and independent travel, to some extent.

I can't edit my comment, but I want to add that you ought to be able to get a round-trip ticket for way under $2,000. In fact, you should probably check fares from LAX to various cities. I would bet there are good options for under $1,000. You might have to wend your way to London, but that will give you a chance to experience independent travel.

I think FHurdle has a smashingly great idea - plan for a little independent travel after your trip - though some folks actually find independent travel even more dreadful than a group trip - but by that time you should have confidence that traveling around Europe is as easy or easier as around the U.S. - especially the great train system.

If considering a Contiki tour check out this:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...n_England.html